Samskip has launched a new shortsea service linking Agadir and Casablanca directly with the UK and the Netherlands, a development expected to strengthen Moroccan export routes and improve connections with European markets.
The Morocco–Europe service is designed to move a wide range of cargo, from fresh produce to industrial materials, offering an alternative to long-haul road transport. The route is supported by dedicated vessels, reefer technology, and multimodal links across Europe. According to the company, the service aims to improve speed, reliability, and environmental performance along this growing trade corridor.
© Samskip
"This connection marks a milestone for the future of logistics between North Africa and Northern Europe," said Samskip Group CEO Ólafur Orri Ólafsson. "We have worked to respond to the needs of growers, exporters, and importers by developing a service focused on reliability and sustainability."
Weekly sailings from Agadir and Casablanca call at Tilbury and Rotterdam, connecting Moroccan exporters to more than thirty destinations across Europe. Cargo arriving in Rotterdam can continue onward through Samskip's multimodal network to Ireland, the UK, the Nordics, and Central Europe. Agadir will focus largely on refrigerated and frozen produce, while Casablanca will handle a broader mix of exports, including automotive parts, chemicals, packaging, and construction materials. Together, the ports will serve as a dual gateway for northbound trade.
To support the route, the company has expanded its reefer container fleet with 750 forty-foot units and 250 forty-five-foot High Cube Pallet-Wide containers. These containers are equipped with Controlled Atmosphere systems that regulate oxygen, CO₂, humidity, and temperature to maintain the condition of fruit and vegetables for up to forty-five days.
Ólafsson said that advanced reefer technology and integrated customs services are intended to provide consistency for exporters ranging from agricultural producers to industrial suppliers.
Shifting cargo from road to sea is expected to reduce CO₂ emissions by up to eighty per cent, while providing more predictable transit times. Samskip's in-house customs clearance teams in Morocco and Europe will manage documentation and administrative requirements to support the end-to-end movement of goods.
© SamskipFor more information:
Florens Tegelaar
Samskip
Tel: +31 88 400 1179
Email: [email protected]
www.samskip.com
